“Funny how life goes, huh? Years pass and slowly you find yourself defined not by the things you do, but the things you don’t do. One by one, I didn’t do those things or those things didn’t happen, and I am what is left. I guess, in part, we’re all remains of unfulfilled dreams.”-Carolyn Dunn
Rememory is a story that frames itself as a mystery, but is actually a story about people related to each other by circumstance, loss and regret while trying to find a way to move forward without becoming consumed by it. To truly enjoy Rememory, you must trust and like Peter Dinklage. It helps if you love Julia Ormond or miss Anton Yelchin. Each delivers amazing performances that feel more like experiences than fiction. If you don’t like them, then skip Rememory and spend the evening watching a double feature of Arrival and Strange Days.
The mystery element undercuts the necessary faith that you must have in Rememory’s characters to trust their good intentions instead of being suspicious of them, but without the hyperstylized structure of the film, it would seem too cliché and predictable. If you love the actors, then the long scenes devoted to dialogue and exchanging stories will feel luxurious and intimate without being sexual. The strongest element of the film is the way that the characters create trust by discussing life or where there is no trust, showing it.
Rememory works because it captures how after death, people are compelled to recall the person by trading stories and comparing this information with their memories. It also captures the fragility of memory and how it either comforts or tortures us as symbolized by the memories being captured on slivers of glass. The key to connection is seeing the person in front of you and meeting that person where that person is mentally instead of imposing an agenda on the person. The goal is the person, not the task, and working together to overcome psychological barriers and defenses. Each character is trying to become whole and cannot do so without trusting another person or allowing that person to imperfectly provide comfort. The memory alone cannot accomplish what a memory shared with another person can create.
I wish that the filmmakers had enough confidence in Rememory to not throw in a mystery and corporate espionage. It detracts from the ultimate message of the film and cheapens what is otherwise an emotionally resonant film. The movie is must see viewing for fans of the cast, but if none of the actors are compelling to you, you should probably skip it if you are not in the mood for a story about the human condition.